The World penned yet another predictable and banal absolution of the Port’s latest announcement to become a coal export facility and the paper’s blind and unwavering support, even for litigation ripe coal industry, got me to thinking that maybe the emergency rail line repairs have more to do with the conditions set by some of the grant and lottery funds received than any local shipper’s opportunity. For example, the State legislature approved the release of $5 million of $60 million in lottery funds to the Port in 2007 contingent upon time sensitive conditions.
(4)(a) Prior to the distribution of bond proceeds described in section 13 (2)(a) of this 2007 Act, the primary sponsor shall provide to the director a budget document outlining expenditures for the Coos Bay Channel Project and verify and certify to the director that:
(A) The primary sponsor has entered into a commercially reasonable agreement with a cargo terminal developer to construct and operate cargo terminal facilities on the Coos Bay channel;
(B) The Secretary of the Army has authorized the performance of environmental studies on the channel pursuant to section 203 of the Water Resources Development Act of 1986 (P.L. 99-662); and
(C) The cargo terminal developer has entered into, or made appropriate progress in negotiations toward, a contract with rail service providers to ensure adequate rail infrastructure and service capacity to serve the cargo terminal facilities to be developed as part of the Coos Bay Channel Project.
Notwithstanding the language in the bill, funds were distributed to the Port absent a “commercially reasonable agreement with a cargo terminal developer” or “adequate rail infrastructure” and the bill allows “converting the amount into a loan subject to an agreement that allows the primary sponsor to repay the amount over time at terms provided for in the grant agreement.” In other words, if I interpret this correctly, should the Port fail to meet the original conditions the grant funds, in this case lottery funds, convert to a loan and must be paid back. Not having looked at the agreement between the State and the Port I don’t have specifics but I seem to recall a time frame of five years to meet the requirements or the $5 million must be repaid. While I don’t know if a coal export terminal meets the criteria of a ‘cargo terminal facility’ as set forth in the 2007 bill but perhaps this grant or any of the other conditioned grants bestowed upon the Port are up against some onerous deadlines and getting the rail line operational at 10MPH and cutting any deal, even with the controversial and divisive coal industry is mandatory in order for the Port to save face.
A month ago I requested documentation proving the need to declare a state of emergency and being told the Port had entered into a NDA (non-disclosure agreement) with Roseburg Forest Products I then requested the NDA and the application made by RFP to the Port. Having received nothing I reissued my request and a deadline of Friday at which point, if necessary, I will turn it over to the district attorney who, by law, must respond within seven days.
Again, it is incumbent upon the people of this county to develop and implement our own jobs plan and stop waiting on and relying on the Port and SCDC.
Clark came from Wyoming for gawds’ sake, what should we have expected?
If ya kain’t make it in Wyoming, try Coos County Oregon.
Yes, I know it is possible, the paper has admitted it is possible to vote more than once. The important thing is that someone like Nate Silver at FiveThirtyEight would disallow the poll because of how the questions were written
then we would see different results? Possibly.. then again, I should point out that I have seen the number count change at Lee.net, by simply closing and re-opening an ip address, the counter can and has logged a new vote from the same person.
I’m just saying, its possible.
It it Probable??
that would be a good poll.
It’s like you mentioned before, Gene, it is how the question is asked. If he gave a real choice – coal or green industry, both paying the same, then we would see different results
The port’s (dues paying SCDC member) collaborator, theworldlink, has elevated their online poll about this plan, to the status of breaking news. Its been the only “STORY” receiving any updating with red lettering. It looks like their doing a full court press on this one.
I wonder if another poll could go up somewhere, worded for fairly.
One thousand mouse clicks representing the people of Coos County does not make an 80% majority. But we will be told that the people overwhelmingly want this, and we want LNG, and we want clearcutting.
Those who don’t know history are bound to repeat it. Exporting coal did not pencil out here in the 1980’s despite all the hoopla back then about it. The problem I believe had to do with the transportation cost to get it here.
Since transportation fuels have gone up since then, does the Port have a business plan showing this will actually pencil out? I’m betting they don’t, just like they don’t have all the agreements in place necessary to get the $5 million in lottery funds they have already spent.
In addition, the Port of Longview was getting all set up to export coal and then just a few months back they withdrew their application. Did the Port even bother to find out why?
A lot of environmental groups in the U.S. and Europe have been fighting against coal-fired power plants. From what I can tell, Earthjustice played a leading role in opposing the Longview terminal. I have never known Earthjustice to lose a fight they have taken on…
Jeff Bishop did say at the Port meeting on July 21st that the Sierra club had already done a freedom of information request for information about their exporting coal from our area. Who of us here locally even knew about their exporting coal until it came out at the Port meeting? Obviously the big environmental groups are going to be all over this one… Does the Port know what they are in for?
What I find most disturbing is the Port earlier this month went to Bremerhaven, Germany and Portugal. They came back and the very next Port Commission meeting announce they are looking to possibly export coal….. Say what? Coal? With no business plan and no explanation as to why this would work here when it didn’t work out in Longview…. You really do have to wonder about these guys…?
Offshore Wind Farm – Giving Bremerhaven a Tail Wind | Made in Germany
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6MxmkKRfkY
Beyond Fossil Fuels –
Portugal Gives Itself a Clean-Energy Makeover
Published: August 9, 2010
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/10/science/earth/10portugal.html
GE Sees Solar Cheaper Than Fossil Power in Five Years
By Brian Wingfield – May 26, 2011 1:58 AM PT
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-05-26/solar-may-be-cheaper-than-fossil-power-in-five-years-ge-says.html
Richard Knablin’s letter to the Register Guard yesterday adds even more food for thought concerning this issue:
http://www.registerguard.com/web/opinion/26570545-47/eugene-mccosh-letters-july-teachers.html.csp
SCDC, FONSI and the Port are the anti-jobs people. They have done nothing measurable to bring renewable energy jobs to the county and, in fact, have stood in the way of some of them. Why isn’t the Chamber encouraging Coos Bay to enact a reasonable wind ordinance? They have them for cell towers, they have them for transmitters, why-oh-why, can’t they figure it out for wind?
CB could become coal port again story at the world has brought out the good-ol-boy shills again, somehow they get the nerve to blame Jody for all their bad ideas. You would think those SCDC and COC boys would be able to battle their pro jobs positions without spewing hate for a person looking out for her community. We know Jody, Mary, Ron, and others not named here are all patriots and heroes. Shame on those bullies and the paper they rode in on.
There’s been a lot of pieces to the puzzle we call the port. Even the parts we don’t know about yet, become instantly obvious as the truth, when seen in the bigger picture. Each part alone seems suspicious in itself, but adding each part alongside the others paints a very clear picture of the secret dealings this public entity has been involved with for many years now. The efforts of the port have harmed this area financially by stopping or delaying many individual enterprises since they announced their plan for LNG. For way to many years now they have made us hold our breath and not increase our investments in our community, We’ve just been maintaining until its decided. Our Government has put its full weight behind this ponzi and those involved should be held accountable for their part.
No matter how I put the letters together, I cannot make the word “Cargo” become the word “Coal”.